


Take My Springs and Summers

by emptymasks



Category: Dracula & Related Fandoms, Dracula - Bram Stoker, Dracula Das Musical, Dracula the Musical - Wildhorn/Black & Hampton
Genre: Abraham Van Helsing/Roseanne (Mentioned), Because of the Mind Control, Bisexuality, Dracula/Anyone was not fully consensual (sometimes not at all consensual), Dracula/Roseanne/Abraham Van Helsing (Mentioned), Dracula/Van Helsing (Mentioned), Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Jonathan Harker/Dracula (Mentioned), Lucy Westenra/Arthur Holmwood/John Seward/Quincey Morris (Mentioned), M/M, Mina Murrary/Dracula (Mentioned), Mina Murray/Lucy Westenra (Mentioned), Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Multi, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Rating May Change, look at me making new rarepairs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25764589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emptymasks/pseuds/emptymasks
Summary: After Dracula's death, Abraham offers to stay with the Harker's for a while to monitor Mina's recovery, to which they glady accept. He knows he'd already fallen for Mina some time ago, but refuses to act on it, after all she and Jonathan are perfect for each other. And Jonathan is everything he isn't. Jonathan who is so young and full of life when he is old and full of regrets. While Mina is on bed-rest, he checks on Jonathan's recovery too and spends more time with the boy. This boy who has always been kind and patient with him. Who has never called him crazy. Who has never once blamed Mina for what happened for gotten angry or jealous. This boy so full of concern. Perhaps Mina isn't the only one he's gotten feelings for after all.All the while Mina and Jonathan are in separate turmoil over their own feelings for their dear friend, and when they realise they both feel the same way, it's time for Mina to make a plan.
Relationships: Jonathan Harker/Abraham Van Helsing, Mina Murray/Abraham Van Helsing, Mina Murray/Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray/Jonathan Harker/Abraham Van Helsing
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gaymelie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaymelie/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes... sometimes she thought he watched her. Sometimes she had thought about how his hands had lingered on her shoulders when he had wrapped her cloak around her before they had gone to the hospital. She felt cruel and wicked. She loved Jonathan, and she had been forced into pretending to love Dracula, and now there were these feelings bubbling up when she was around Abraham.

Blood.

There was so much blood.

It seeped out of her would-be lover, rushing and running and ruining her skirts as it dyed the fabric an even darker, terrible red.

He looked up at her and smiled. He, _Dracula_ , lord of her dreams and nightmares, smiled at her ever still as he slipped from his un-death into something beyond.

What had she done? He had look at her and smiled and begged for her to kill him, to save her, to save himself. Because he loved her, he had said he loved her, he had wanted to die rather than give into his nature and turn her or watch her grow old and wither away.

And she wept. She wept and wept and her tears split down her cheeks and landed on his cold face and her hands shook as she forced them to unclench from around the stake in his heart.

There was no last gasp of breath or fluttering of eyelids. He was as dead as he had ever been, but whatever remnants of a soul of personality were forever gone now.

The blood stopped pooling.

Mina blinked and her eyes refocused and she gasped and surged backwards, sliding on the floor, sickly and sticky with blood. Her tears froze like ice on her cheeks.

She felt as though she'd just woken up from a terrible dream, as if all these past months she'd been sleepwalking. His voice had called to her over and over and she'd told him no but he couldn't accept it. He hadn't accepted it. Her mind was not her own as she opened the windows to the balcony and invited him in. It had not been her own since he had arrived in London. He'd taken her and put his hands on her and stolen her blood and her time and her love. He's stolen her control of her mind and her body. She did not love him. Had she ever?

White light, pure and blinding, shone through the window behind her, dancing along her dress, gleaming on the red satin and redder stains. Gleaming as if it was finally safe to come out now the monster was gone.

She struggled to find her breath, hands clutching at her clothes, trying not to dirty them any more than they already were. She pressed a shaking hand to her temple as it throbbed. She felt like throwing up. She felt like pushing the stake through herself. She felt like-

"Mina?" A soft voice broke through the darkness of her swirling mind.

He was there, he had come, and what astounded her most was the lack of hatred or betrayal in his eyes. Those beautiful eyes had no malice for her, only concern.

"Jonathan," She breathed out. Then sobbed. And then sobbed again and tried to drag herself across the floor to him.

He bent down caught her by the waist, pulling her up and into his arms. She clutched at him so tightly she was sure it must be painful for him, but he held her just as tight and didn't let go. Her knees buckled as her feet touched the ground and Jonathan lent backwards, feeling through her skirts for the backs of her thighs, and pushed her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He was strong enough for a man that the others didn't tease him, but hardly strong or muscular. But he held her up, arms starting to strain, for as long as she needed. He's always be there, wouldn't he? For as long as she needed him.

Her breathing started to calm down eventually, it had to, lest she fall dead herself. Jonathan's hands were steady on her wrists as her feet tentatively touched the floor.

"I... He asked me to... Jonathan, I killed him. I killed someone..." Her voice shook as she searched for any trace of disgust in his eyes. And she found none.

"What you killed wasn't a person, dear Madam," Another voice murmured out of the dark.

Mina clutched at Jonathan's shoulders as she peered over them. Abraham was stood not but a few paces behind Jonathan, gaze fixated on the dead best on the floor.

"What you did... It was no different than killing a wolf or a bear that is trying to attack you. For that is what he was doing, and what he would have done to all of us," His eyes were drawn back to Mina and they were always so full of so many emotions she often felt overwhelmed looking into them.

Overwhelmed and sympathetic.

He crossed the short distance between them and placed on of his hands over hers. Jonathan's own hand was but a breath from them, still wrapped around Mina's wrist. Abraham stroked a thumb over the back of her knuckles and she pulled her hand out of Jonathan's group and thought about how often Abraham kissed the back of her hand and oh how she wanted him to do it again and tell her she was going to be alright. She had the sudden notion that she wished to be held between the both of them, the only two who had always stuck by her, never thought she was going mad or didn't know her place.

Abraham's hand has hers all to itself and he hesitated, looking at her watery eyes, before bending down and raising her hand to his lips. "What you did... had saved us all. If anything, I am in your debt."

Mina felt the urge to laugh and scoff around her tears. "If anything, I feel I have repaid you, for all you have done for the both of us."

He had done his best to save Lucy, her dear sweet Lucy. It had taken time for her to accept that the vampire they had killed was hardly Lucy anymore, but she was glad Abraham had done it. That thing hadn't been Lucy. That wasn't how Lucy wanted to live. Crawling around the streets in her bloodstained gown, stealing poor little children from their mothers, taking them and biting them and killing them! No. That hadn't been Lucy at all.

And that's what _he_ would have had her become, wasn't it? For all his talk, _he_ was the one who had done that to Lucy. He's stolen her away. The call she'd answered, the call that was meant for Mina... what manipulative nonsense. If he'd only wanted Mina to answer then why had he allowed Lucy into his arms? He'd not only fed from her, but he'd turned her into a vampire as well.

Was that proof he'd loved Mina more then? Because he had, in the end, been unable to bring himself to turn her.

So Lucy's life had been some little pawn to him. Some little toy for him to play with and then throw away once he upgraded to Mina. And now Lucy's body was lifeless and defiled, her white burial gown forever red. And Quincy, oh god now Quincy too. After everything the boys went through with Lucy, they never fought or got jealous, they'd all just remained good friends. It was hard to find men like that. He'd been so loyal and such a good friend to her, and now he was cold and alone, lying on the stone steps that lead into this wretched place.

"We must get her out of here," Abraham said to Jonathan but his voice felt far away.

Jonathan said something in agreement but she couldn't make out the words. Colours swirled and danced and when they cleared, in what could only have been minutes later at most. She was now sat on the ground, her back pressed against a wall.

Jonathan and Abraham were both knelt by her sides. They seemed to notice she'd come back to herself and Jonathan grabbed her hand.

"You're going to be alright, darling," It wasn't a question, but Mina could feel how Jonathan wanted to turn to Abraham to confirm this.

"You were already weak from him having fed of you those weeks ago, that recovery will take time, just as Jonathan's has. I can only imagine that the reason you were so able to stand on your feet just then was because of his power over you. Now that it is gone..." Abraham trailed off, his eyes lost in some memory. "Let me say that... I know that you can recover from being under his spell. It will take time, but you will heal."

"We all will," Jonathan squeezed her hand.

She wanted to ask Abraham so many questions. How could he know that? Was that what happened to Roseanne? Or, perhaps...?

"What do we do about...?" Jonathan glanced over to where Dracula's body was laying.

"We burn it. Just to be certain."

Jonathan shuffled on his knees, ready to put an arm under Mina to help her up, but she reached out with her other hand and held onto Abraham.

"I..."

She looked between the both of them.

Her Jonathan, sweet and young and beloved above all things. They'd made it through everything, somehow. They'd been strong and stuck by each other and she loved him even more for it, not that she'd thought she could have been any more in love with him than she already was.

And Abraham, this new friend. The months he had spent taking care of them all, of Lucy and Jonathan and her... She saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke of Roseanne and Dracula and she could only assume from what Renfield has said, that Dracula has killed her. Sometimes his mind would slip when he was talking and he revealed more than he had planned to. Mina had gotten the feeling that Dracula hadn't just been after Roseanne. It wasn't unlikely, after all he'd said he wanted both her and Jonathan. They matched each other in wits and loved that he look her no less seriously for being a woman. He saw her intelligence and he matched it with joy.

But sometimes... sometimes she thought he watched her. Sometimes she had thought about how his hands had lingered on her shoulders when he had wrapped her cloak around her before they had gone to the hospital. She felt cruel and wicked. She loved Jonathan, and she had been forced into pretending to love Dracula, and now there were these feelings bubbling up when she was around Abraham.

Was there something wrong with her?

She thought about Lucy and how she'd delighted in all three of her boys and how they all were delighted with her. She'd never quite understood it, but Lucy was happy and so were they. And they had seemed to make it work. And she would be lying if she said she hadn't been aware of the feelings she'd had for Lucy, feelings one has for someone more than just a friend.

 _"I cannot help that I love falling in love,"_ Lucy had said to her once. _"What punishment could there possibly be for sharing my heart with more than one person, when they so ardently share their own with me in return? None of us are deceiving each other."_ She'd worried her teeth into her lip then and Mina had assured her that she didn't think it was wrong at all, she just didn't think it was for her. She loved Jonathan and Jonathan loved her, and she didn't think Jonathan wanted to or was capable of loving anyone else...

But he had told her in the middle of the night once, how he had leaned back into Dracula's embrace. He'd been wracked with guilty, shoulders shaking violently and tears spilling out of his bright eyes and she couldn't have been angry with him. How could she be angry with him for being allured by him when she had done the very same?

Somehow, as she'd been thoroughly lost in her thoughts, Jonathan had led her out of the castle and back to where their carriage waited for them. Jack and Arthur seemed to have salvaged one of the coffins from the castle and had sat it atop the carriage. She could only imagine that Quincy was inside.

Jonathan ushered her inside, as the two boys climbed onto the front, and she didn't miss how Arthur's hand was coiled up in Jack's coat.

The inside of the carriage almost felt foreign to her now, her mind full of old stone and broken wood. Jonathan slid himself into the end of the seat and pulled Mina into his lap.

She felt like she could have fallen asleep, but jumped as the door swung open and Abraham hauled himself in, almost falling into the seat opposite them and hitting the ceiling twice to signal the boys to start moving the horses.

As the carriage pulled away further and further, Mina started to make out an orange glow in the distance. Flames licking at the sky.

Abraham's leg was bouncing up and down and he scratched at the back of his hands, a nervous habit she'd caught him doing often.

"Abraham," She murmured and he gazed up at her as though she was the most wondrous thing he'd ever seen.

She'd noticed that no one called him by his first name, though he gave it out freely. It was always 'Van Helsing' or 'Professor' or 'Doctor'. She'd called him all those things as well, but sometimes when he seemed saddened, more saddened than usual, she would call him by his first name and watch his heart clench.

She held out a hand to him.

He looked between her and Jonathan, almost starting to hover in his seat.

Jonathan let out a soft, quiet chuckle and slid Mina around in his lap so that her back was against the side wall of the carriage.

"Mina's right, you should come over here," And it was Jonathan's turn to be revelled at as Abraham's gaze turned. "I may not understand everything that went on and is going to continue to go on. But, we've all been through it together. I think that's something. Come here, we're not going to hurt you," He jested, trying to get a smile out of Abraham.

Mina thought about what Jonathan had said as Abraham shuffled over and sat on the bench with them. She wondered how much Jonathan liked Abraham as she lifted up her legs and planted her feet in Abraham's lap. Tucking her head under Jonathan's chin she reached out a hand, which Abraham took fervently and pulled so Abraham had no choice but to slide along until he was tucked into Jonathan's side. Jonathan hummed and squirmed as he pulled his arm out from between him and Abraham and placed it over their Mina and Abraham's joint hands.

"You should both try and sleep. You've had a tougher time of it than I have."

"Nonsense," Abraham said. "I think the carriage will keep moving whether we're awake or not."

"Hm, while that's true, I do have the feeling, dear Professor, that if Mina and I fall asleep first that you then won't fall asleep at all."

Abraham looked away and Mina wanted to laugh at how he looked like a child caught fishing his hand in the biscuit jar.

It didn't matter what any of them said, they had no say in how sleep crept into their bones.

"Would..." Abraham started, causing them to stir. "I'd like to be able to monitor your health, just as I did with Jonathan, to make sure you are getting better... Would that be alright?"

"Of course," Mina hadn't even thought that tonight could have been the last time she would see him. "You can stay with us, can't he Jonathan?"

It was cruel to ask that of him, but seeing how they looked nestled side by side just made her want to keep them both in her arms and not let them go.

"Of course," Jonathan stroked her hair. "We'd be glad to have you."

They would have been stirring and perhaps screaming in their sleep had it not been for how utterly exhausted they all were.

Mina could feel Jonathan fighting to keep his eyes open, trying to stay true to his word that he wanted to wait until she and Abraham were both asleep.

In the she couldn't say who fell asleep first, she wasn't sure any of them could. In the end sleep overtook them all, all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I watched Dracula the Musical for the first time last night (the Graz version) and you know I already shipped Jonathan/Dracula from the book and films, but this isn't the ship I expected to end up writing for. I fully blame Amelie because while watching it together we got talking about Lucy/Mina and Lucy just dating all three suitors and how Dracula says he wants both Jonathan and Mina so Mina/Jonathan/Dracula. And, look, Van Helsing is played by Uwe Kröger, I don't know how anyone could have thought I wouldn't love him. But he's so soft and sweet with Mina and how he kisses her hand! And we thought about Mina/Helsing but then I thought about Mina/Jonathan/Helsing because, to quote our discord chat from last night:
> 
> "Screw Dracula, Jonathan and Mina ask Helsing to stay with them and help him move on from his wife and give him some love"
> 
> Also there are two braincells in this trio and neither of them belong to Jonathan. Abraham's got a braincell for a lot of things, but realising he has feelings and talking about them isn't one of them. Mina has to do all the work around here.
> 
> The versions of these characters are based of the actors from the Graz production (Lyn Liechty, Jesper Tydén and Uwe Kröger). Title is based on both the English and German lyrics to 'Please Don't Make Me Love You'/'Lass mich dich nicht lieben' (my favourite song from the musical): 'Please don't steal my summers' and 'Nimm mir nicht den Frühling' (Don't take the spring from me).


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wondered what he should do if Jonathan or Mina, or both of them, awoke in the night, crying and shaking and sweating. They'd have each other, of course... But if they were both in a state, and Abraham was fairly confident in believing neither had dealt with such terrible, plaguing dreams since before their encounters with the Count, then they may not be able to calm themselves down at all.
> 
> Was it acceptable to go to them?

"It's quite small, but it’s all we have. I hope that's not a problem."

Abraham stepped through the door into the small room Jonathan had led him too. Crates and papers cluttered the corner haphazardly, for which Jonathan had profusely apologised and assured him they'd move them out of the room. There was a small bed, wardrobe and dresser, and a little thin window casting the receding moonlight onto the sheets.

"It's no problem at all, Mr. Harker."

Jonathan laughed. "I think you'll well more than qualified to call me Jonathan. We are friends, after all, aren't we?"

The sweet boy actually sounded worried as he asked that question. Abraham just wasn't used to having... friends. But that's what they'd all become, wasn't it? Jonathan and Mina and Arthur and Jack... and Quincey. He'd never stayed so long in one place in many years, not since before Roseanne's death, and yet here he'd been in London for months. Yes, he had found Dracula at last, that cursed Nosferatu, and staying with this group who were learning so much and were unfortunate targets was his best shot at killing the beast! That was why he'd come here!

But... why did he so badly want to stay? The monster had been vanquished, staked through the heart and body set ablaze to be doubly certain. He was sort of in shock that it was all over. How many years had he spent with this as his one goal, the one and only thing that drove him to keep living... And now it was gone.

He'd felt almost as though he was in a dream as he exited that horrendous castle, sweat trailing down his skin as the flames jumped to lick it up. Once inside the carriage he couldn't stop fidgeting, scratching the back of his hands, nowhere to put this excess energy now. All he could think about was what he would do now. There were no doubt more vampires out there, but he had no idea how to get a start on finding them. Everything he'd been researching and hunting had all stemmed out of Dracula. He'd found as many of those turned by him as he could and killed them all. The three brides would be burning away in the castle, he'd seen them try to prize their coffins open, forced closed by the stone pillar that had collapsed on top of them. He could feel the soot sticking to his clothes and his clothes to the seat as his mind spiralled.

And then Mina had held out her hand and asked him to sit with her and Jonathan.

And she's said his name so softly and sweetly. Not 'Professor' or 'Doctor' or 'Van Helsing'... She'd called him _Abraham._ She'd said it in a voice so kind it had snapped him out of his searing thoughts and reminded him of a time when his life was simpler.

He'd met her at Lucy's funeral, the poor girl taken too young by that creature. She'd been beautiful, even dressed in black and tears. He's kissed her hand, he wasn't fully sure why. He'd felt compelled to. Perhaps that was how Dracula had felt when he'd first seen.

But Abraham had gotten to know the woman under the beauty and she was by far the most intelligent person he'd met in a long time. The others were well meaning, but foolish and brash and while some may have had the knowledge gained from books and studies, Mina had that alongside logical thinking and good honest common sense.

She'd put so much trust in him. Spending time with him as he came by every few days to check on Jonathan's health and to see how well he was healing from the bite he'd sustained back in Transylvania. They could spend hours talking about books and she'd ask about Abraham's time as a university professor, confessing she'd always wished she could go. He'd said he'd be more than happy, honoured, to teach her about anything she wanted to know.

He should have seen the warning signs. By the time he realised he was falling in love with her, he was already in too deep.

He wouldn't tell her, he couldn't. She and Jonathan made the purest couple, so utterly in love, and he couldn't ruin. He couldn't do that to her, play with her heart, especially after she'd just had another man to the same (though, granted, Abraham was never going to and could never control her mind into giving into him against her will).

And he liked Jonathan. That had surprised him a little. From how Jack spoke of him he'd made Jonathan sound like a lovesick puppy, loyal and devoted to Mina, but not incredibly bright. He may have been correct that Jonathan didn't have the keenest of minds, but he no doubt made up for that with his nature. He had more than once sat in rapt attention as Abraham caught himself up in rambling about his journeys and research. Once he'd caught himself, he's apologise, certain that Jonathan would be bored and tired of him, but Jonathan had only looked at him with almost awed eyes, telling him to continue.

Once he'd caught his hands lingering on Jonathan's neck as he inspected how the bite mark was healing, thumb brushing against his skin so lightly that Jonathan shivered and he'd looked up and it was as if he was suddenly noticing for the first time how the light shone of Jonathan's hair as it fell in waves against his face... how piercing his pale blue eyes were...

Too many times his lips had lingered on Mina's skin after he kissed her hand.

"I'll leave you to unpack your things then, you're free to come and find me if you need anything. And once Mina is awake I'm sure she'd love to talk to you," Jonathan shuffled against the door frame.

Abraham hadn't been aware that he'd just been lost in thought this entire time as Jonathan stayed stood there. He turned and looked at Jonathan, yet Jonathan was the one who looked sheepish, as if he thought he should have left but had remained stood, staring at Abraham.

"Yes... I'll be needing to see how Mina is anyway once she wakes... Thank you," The last two words rushed out of his mouth as Jonathan turned to leave. "...Jonathan."

Jonathan turned a fraction and smiled at him, nodding his head, before departing further into the house, no doubt to sit by Mina's bedside.

He needed the rest to, though Abraham doubted he would get it. It still hadn't been that long since he'd been almost drained of his blood and sent into a temporary delirium and while Abraham was impressed with how well he was healing, he worried that Jonathan was acting better than he was at times for everyone's sake. Because he didn't want any to worry about him. Perhaps he didn't think he was worth anybody worrying about him. Perhaps Abraham was just projecting.

He sighed. He doubted it any of them would get any sleep. The three of them had been borderline comatose during the carriage ride back, and then once again promptly passed out once they'd gotten on the train. The walk back to the house from the station was short but they'd all been so sluggish, tired and drained, that it was a miracle they hadn't all collapsed into a puddle on the cobblestones.

And then there would be the nightmares. He'd dealt with them for so many years that they barely bothered him now, they were simply normal. That should probably have been concerning but... He was just tired.

He wondered what he should do if Jonathan or Mina, or both of them, awoke in the night, crying and shaking and sweating. They'd have each other, of course... But if they were both in a state, and Abraham was fairly confident in believing neither had dealt with such terrible, plaguing dreams since before their encounters with the Count, then they may not be able to calm themselves down at all.

Was it acceptable to go to them? He should have asked Jonathan. But, asking someone if you could enter their room where they slept with their wife in the middle of the night... He didn't want Jonathan thinking that the question meant anything untoward.

He tried to push the thought from his mind as he focused on unpacking his supplies and medicines, setting the ones he used the most on top of the dresser and leaving the rest in the bag. He traveled fairly lightly, only his medical supplies, hunting supplies and one other change of clothes. He felt out of place wearing his well-worn coat and boots around the others who dressed so smartly. Maybe he should buy some new ones.

The bed was only small, but was softer than most places Abraham had gotten used to sleeping in as of late. It was certainly better than mouldy mattresses in run down inns, or hay bales in the back of a farmhouse with a leaky ceiling. He slept where he could, and there wasn't always a nice warm house in the middle of the European countryside. Much less one willing to take him in for the night. Especially when he couldn't contain himself and started asking questions about missing people or mysterious neck injuries and fatigues.

Jonathan had given him one of his nightshirts, and Abraham was thankful they were normally made to be baggy as while Jonathan and he were practically the same height (perhaps Jonathan was an inch shorter than he) Jonathan was a lot thinner than he was.

He slipped under the covers and willed his body to let go of any tension and sink into the mattress. He tried focusing his thoughts on nothing, and then focusing on what treatments Mina might need, and then eventually turned to prayer.

Nothing worked.

His muscles were rigid against the soft cottons, unable to move on from what had transpired. Unable to stop thinking about how Jonathan and Mina were. Unable to stop thinking about what would happen with the rest of his life now.

At least he was giving his body rest, even if his mind couldn't. That was the reasoning he used to keep himself in the bed and not grabbing a book or reorganising his medicine and herbs for the hundredth time.

Time passed in such a blur and everything was so dark that he couldn't be sure if he'd fallen into any state of sleep when he started hearing noises.

It was so quiet in the house he could hear even the slightest sound. From down the hall there was rustling, and then a banging sound, like wood against a wall. Then the sobs and the screams started.

Abraham sat up. He couldn't tell if one of them was having a nightmare, or both, and he was fighting the urge to rush over there and help them. He couldn't help it, it was in his nature. But he couldn't just barge into another person's room, a married couple’s room where they'd be sleeping together, just because there were having a bad dream. Even if it was much worse than just a bad dream.

He shot of the mattress and paced the room, walking back and forth and back and forth, before grabbing his trouser and pulling them on, shoving the nightshirt inside the waistband with shaking hands.

He had to go in there! And yet he felt he couldn't. His thoughts were in turmoil. Surely once they awoke they'd eventually wonder if they'd woken Abraham up, or if he'd heard everything. Would they be more angry at him for leaving them to suffer than barging in uninvited?

A banging against a wall made him jump and he turned as he heard footsteps coming down the hall and he raced over and opened the door.

Mina clutched a hand to her chest as her hand was frozen in the air, seemingly about to knock on his door.

"I... I'm sorry, I didn't... I don't know what to do. I wasn't sure if you were awake, and I know it's late and I know you agreed to be our doctor, not our psychiatrist, but Abraham I don't... I don't know what I should do."

Her eyes were wide, pupils almost glowing from the light of the candle she held in her hand. Her hair was down around her shoulders, loose and lost, and cheeks were wet and sore.

There were still noises coming from their bedroom.

"Please, I don't know how to help him," Mina begged.

Abraham's brain lit up and he moved on instinct. He scooped a handful of items of the dresser and dumped them into his bag. Holding Mina's wrist, he pointed for her to lead him into the bedroom.

The sheets were half thrown of the bed, the other half twisting and coiling like vines around Jonathan's feverish body. The weight of his turning and thrashing was causing the bed to rock against the floor, the headboard slamming into the wall.

Abraham tried to pick at the bedding and untangle Jonathan the best he could, but with all his trashing Abraham gave up on that plan and used his strength to turn Jonathan onto his back and pin him to the bed by his shoulders.

"Did you try to wake him?" He turned to look at Mina over his shoulder as she moved across the room, placing the candle by the bedside.

"I don't want to hurt him... Isn't it worse if you wake someone up?"

"Well, while he may wake in a smoother manner, I find it preferable to be out of such hellscapes as quickly as possible," He had hoped the fight would be forced to leave Jonathan as he struggled against him, but he was still sleeping.

Mina crawled onto the bed, her hands going to Jonathan's hair. "Jonathan, it's alright. Please wake up."

"Forgive me," Abraham said to them both as he slid his hand over Jonathan's mouth.

"What are you doing?" Mina clearly had a lot of trust for him, not even raising her voice as Abraham essentially suffocated her husband. She trusted he knew what he was doing. She trusted he wouldn't hurt them.

In less than twenty seconds Jonathan's eyes flew open and Abraham pulled his hand from his mouth, pulling Jonathan up into a sitting position as he coughed and spluttered. One of his hands found it's way to Jonathan's hair as Mina ran one up and down his shivering spine and the other over his hands.

"It's alright, now," Abraham murmured. "You're safe. We're safe. We're back in London, we're back at your home. Mina's here. The monster is gone. He can't get to you ever again. He can't get to Mina. You're safe now, Jonathan."

It was easier than he had thought, to comfort him. Abraham might be cold and hard and honest with his facts, but he always did his best to comfort anyone affected by the vampires deeds. He wanted to be able to give them some help, in a way the help he wished he'd received.

As Jonathan's breathing started to calm down, so did Abraham's adrenaline and he started to take note of the situation. He'd pulled Jonathan forwards without moving much out of the way, meaning that, essentially, Jonathan was sat in his lap. he was leaning into Abraham, body seeking some heat on instinct most likely, and one of his hands was balled up into a fist around Abraham's nightshirt.

"Thank you," Mina whispered to him, placing a hand on his arm.

Abraham nodded and noted again the puffiness under her yes. She seemed to notice his questioning gaze.

"I didn't have the most pleasant dreams either... His voice was just... Surrounding me again, as he pulled me in a trance through the mist..." Her eyes seemed to wander somewhere for a moment. "But it was just a dream." She pulled herself closer to them, turning her voice to Jonathan. "It was just a dream."

They stayed like that until Jonathan's started to properly calm down, his legs uncurling from his chest and his grip on Abraham's shirt loosening. Abraham took the opportunity to reach for his bag on the floor, rummaging around and pulling out a couple of sprigs of lavender, telling Mina to place one in each of the pillow cases, which she did, unquestioningly.

"Would you stay?" Jonathan said in such a quiet voice that Abraham thought he must have imagined it, if not for his stunned silence causing Jonathan to tense up and pull away. "No, I'm sorry, this isn't what you agreed to, and I'm not a child... I don't know why I said that, I-"

"Because you're vulnerable right now, love. We all are," Mina's voice soothed over him like a lullaby. "Don't feel like you have to stay out of guilt. He'd only ask you that if he cared about you, and I have to agree that we feel safer having you close to us."

"I..." Abraham's mouth felt dry. "I can pull up a chair and stay by your bedside and wake you again if the nightmares return."

Jonathan's face twisted in embarrassment. Was that not what they were suggesting? Good lord, they couldn't have been suggesting...?!

He was frozen in shock as Mina plucked Jonathan from his lap, pushing him to lie back down on the bed. Abraham stood as she tugged on the sheets, freeing them from under himself so she could lay the covers over Jonathan and pulled herself against his back.

He felt like an idiot just standing there.

"Abraham," She said, eyes already drooping. "You can either leave, or you can lie down."

He knew what he wanted. And how he shouldn't want it that badly. It was too tempting. _They_ were too tempting and he didn't understand what was happening or why he found them so tempting and tempting him into what? He didn't understand.

Mina seemed to sigh, as if disappointed by him not moving, and lent backwards to snuff out the candle.

In the darkness all Abraham could here was their breathing. He wasn't sure he was currently capable of breathing at the moment.

He looked back to where the door probably was, eyes not yet adjusted to the complete darkness.

He should go back to his room. If they awoke in the night then at least he knew now he was allowed to go in. They wanted him to go in.

They wanted him to get in bed with them.

It was insane, ludicrous! But also, it shouldn't be. They were all friends, were they not? They were simply sharing a bed. Friends sharing a bed wasn't unusual so why was it causing Abraham's heart to pound against his rib-cage.

He walked over to the bedroom door.

And closed it.

Sleep found him eventually, with Mina's small hand reaching over Jonathan and towards him, and Jonathan's breath on the side of his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well i thought i'd try and write at least 1k words so i didn't lose inspiration for this fic and oops got a whole chapter of hurt/comfort out

**Author's Note:**

> "Screw Dracula, jonathan and mina ask helsing to stay with them and help him move on from his wife and give him some love."
> 
> There are two braincells in this trio and neither of them belong to Jonathan. Abraham's got a braincell for a lot of things, but realising he has feelings and talking about them isn't one of them. Mina has to do all the work around here.
> 
> The versions of these characters are based of the actors from the Graz production (Lyn Liechty, Jesper Tydén and Uwe Kröger). Title is based on both the English and German lyrics to 'Please Don't Make Me Love You'/'Lass mich dich nicht lieben' (my favourite song from the musical): 'Please don't steal my summers' and 'Nimm mir nicht den Frühling' (Don't take the spring from me).


End file.
